11 what? How? HELP! Oh please help.

[munki]

Ok, I'll admit it...I'm a knitter and utterly frustrated by trying my first crochet pattern. I learned to knit from a book and I figured I could learn crochet from a book too..but patterns are so darned confusing to me at this point! I need guidance from you wise peoples.

 

I'm trying to make a coaster from the Cozy Crochet book...(it says skill level 1).. i chain 4... and then...

 

Rnd 1 (RS) 11dc into fourth ch from hook, Join with slip st to top of ch 3-12 sts.

 

Huh? I tried playing with it thinking I'd finally figure it out but I just ended up getting frustrated. I guess the 11 thows me off.

 

Please show me the light?

[Kimberly]

Okay.....deap breath in....hold it.....let it out......better?

Now, once you have chained 4, in the first chain, you will make 11 double crochet stitches.....they will wrap around the chain, and you will end up with a circle of stitches, and to connect the circle you need to slip stitch into the fourth of the original chain 4 (now only 3 because you used the first one as the center ring for the 11 double chain stitches)

I think that I am confusing myself now! I'll go work up a swatch and take a picture......

[13bodies]

First chain 4. You should now have 4 chains hanging off of your hook.

 

Yarn over, stick the hook in the 4th chain from the hook (the one farthest away), and make your double crochet. You should now have 3 chains with nothing in them, and a double crochet in the fourth chain.

 

Make 10 more double crochets in the same chain. You should now have an almost circle of eleven double crochets and one chain 3. The chain 3 counts as a double crochet.

 

Join your yarn in the top of the chain 3. You now have a circle consisting of 11 double crochets and one double crochet equivalent (the chain 3).

 

I hope I didn't confuse you further. Good luck with your coasters.

[Tamara]

Instead of chaining and joining for a loop, a lot of patterns create the loop in the first chain.

 

Ch 4 - the first chain is the "loop" and ch 2 - 4 equal the first double crochet.

 

11 dc - you will make 11 double crochet in that first chain. If your chain isn't loose enough - this can be really tight. Then you join the last dc with the 4th chain from your beginning.

 

This help?

[Kimberly]

OKay...here are the pictures fron the original chain 4, The start of the first double chain in the fourth chain from the hook, the first 6 stitches, all of the 11 stitches plus the original chain, the slip stitch and the final result.......

 

 

[munki]

*breathe* Oh wow. I bow down to you guys for being able to make sense of these things.

Hehe, I know how it can be trying to explain a process that you know by heart and seems so simple - until you put it into words.

Well, I don't fully understand it yet so I'm gonna go play with everyone's suggestions, greatly appreciated! They did bring some clarity so I may be able to do it... I'll keep you posted. hehe (and thank you for going through the trouble of taking pictures, Kimberly! Visuals are always helpful!!)

 

It just didn't seem possible that they meant 11 stitches into one loop...but what do I know. Thanks everyone!

[Chatty]

That was exactly what they meant, 11 sts in one lp

 

It might help to try to make your starting ch a little loose to accommodate those 11 sts.

 

Keep taking breaths and relax, it's really quite easy once you jump into it

[earthwhisper]

OKay...here are the pictures fron the original chain 4, The start of the first double chain in the fourth chain from the hook, the first 6 stitches, all of the 11 stitches plus the original chain, the slip stitch and the final result.......

 

 

 

Very nice picture tutorial!

[Hounddog]

Great pictures very clear to us.

[Kimberly]

So glad that the pictures helped...I know that I always like to see pictures, so I figure everyone else would too!

[Aggie May]

You could also CH 4, join with a ss to make a ring, CH 3 (to stand as 1DC then work 11 more DC into the loop. Join with a ss to the top of the Ch from the start of the row.

You will still end up with 12DC (including the staring CH)

Now carry on following the pattern.

If you leave a tail at the start, and crochet over it, you can give it a pull to close the hole in the centre, then thread in the back of the work as you normally would.

Have fun.

Colleen.

[Hummywinger]

Have you checked out the site www.stitchguide.com It is great at showing how to crochet and the stitches. There is also a CD you can buy I believe it is about $8.00 at Joann.com and it shows how to crochet. Hang in there all good things take time and once you learn and have done a few things you will enjoy crocheting.